This article presents a summary of the history of the Nepal. Nepal is a country of the the Himalayas, wedged, bordered in north by the Popular republic of China, autonomous region of the Tibet, in the south, the west and the east by the India.
Old story
Between 400 and 750 after J. - C., the current capital of the Nepal Katmandou was directed by the dynasty of the Licchavi. The archaeological evidence of this period consists mainly of inscriptions on stones, gone back to two consecutive times. Oldest, the Åšaka time, date of 78 after J. - C., while the second, Amshuvarmā, date of 576.Although the majority of the inscriptions indicate the dates and police chiefs of stone constructions, some transmit royal edicts, will mantras religious or of the historical notes. It thanks to corroboration between the local myths and these archaeological discoveries that people former to the Licchavi were identified, is known under the name of Kirata. Very little information is available on this subject.
Modern history
Origin of the name
The toponym “Nepal” would derive from the Sanskrit nipalaya which means “with the foot of the mountains”, in reference to its situation close to the the Himalayas. That could thus be an equivalent with the European toponym “Piedmont”. It was also suggested that the name would come from the Tibetan niyampal who means “crowned ground”.
Formation
The modern Nepal was created in second half of the 18th century when Prithivî Nârâyan Shâh, the chief of the small principality of Gorkha, unified a certain number of States independent of the buttresses of the the Himalayas in 1768. It seized the throne, unified the kingdom, closed it the abroads and serenity brought thus to him. The country was frequently called the kingdom Gorkha , the origin of the term Gurkha employed for soldiers of Nepal.
The Rânâ administration
After 1800, the heirs to Prithivî Nârâyan Shâh are unable to maintain a control political effective of Nepal. The country sinks during one time of agitation, confirmed by the defeat of the Nepal in the war against the Britanniques of 1814 with 1816. Stability is found after 1846 when the family Rânâ monopolizes in a hereditary way the station of Prime Minister, relegating the monarch to a role of representation. The mode Rânâ, a strongly centralized autocracy, continues a political isolationist , cutting the Nepal of all external influences. This policy makes it possible Nepal to maintain its national independence for the colonial era, but it also thwarts the economic development of the country .
Democratic reforms
Nepal remained very a long time a inaccessible country , not because of its mountains but because it was a kingdom closed the abroads. It is only in 1951, when it decided to open with the outside world, that it accepted its first visitors. Unloaded then of the United States and Europe of the hordes of Hippie S which anchored Kathmandou in the legend. It was the time when the Haschich was on sale free. But of this period, there does not remain large thing. Today, Nepal became the appointment of the Globe-trotter S of all nationalities.In 1950, the king Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithivî Nârâyan Shâh, saves its gilded prison to join the lately independent India. With the assistance of Jawaharlal Nehru, it returns to the capacity to the beginning of the year 1951 then, on November 16th, 1951, manages to name a Prime Minister not forming part of the Rânâ family: Matrika Prasad Koirala (older brother of current the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala). During the Years 1950, a project of Constitution is written instituting a form representative of government, based on a British model.
At the beginning of 1959, the king Mahendra promulgates the new constitution, and the first democratic legislative elections are organized. The Left the Nepalese congress, a moderated socialist party, largely gains the elections. Its chief, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (another brother of Matrika Prasad Koirala) form its government and becomes Prime Minister.
The democratic failure
Informant, 18 months later, the failure of the parliamentary democracy, king Mahendra dislocates the government of Koirala and promulgates a new constitution the December 16th 1962. This one establishes the system without party of the panchayats (councils) that Mahendra regards as the democratic shape of government closer to the Nepalese traditions. As a pyramidal structure on the basis of the villages to reach the Rastriya Panchayat or National parliament, the system of the panchayat founds an absolute monarchy and installs the king with the report heading with a complete authority on all the governmental authorities, including the Cabinet (the Council of Ministers) and the Parliament.The king Birendra, his 27 year old son, succeeds king Mahendra in 1972. Under the pressure of the student's and antigovernment demonstrations of 1979, king Birendra invites with a national Référendum to decide nature of the future government of Nepal, either the conservation of the system of panchayat improved by democratic reforms, or the establishment of the Multipartisme. The referendum is organized in May 1980, and the system of the panchayat gains of a short victory. The king institutes the promised reforms, including that of the choice of the Prime Minister by Rastriya Panchayat.
The inhabitants of the rural areas had had the hope to be represented better after the adoption of the parliamentary democracy in 1990. When it becomes obvious that the land reforms promised will not take place, rural certain parts of the country will issue their own reform to gain a certain control on their lives vis-a-vis the landowners. In reaction against this movement, the Nepalese government organizes a wild Répression which involves the elimination of several of the principal activists in the fight. These repressive operations will lead many of their witnesses to be radicalized.
The civil war
The February 12th 1996 sees the launching of the war of the people of inspiration Maoist, a Insurrection of which the posted goal is the abolition of the monarchy described as corrupted and the introduction of a Communist regime which will be expressed through a “people's democracy”. Carried out by Pushpa Kamal Dahal (known also under the name of war of Prachanda ) and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, ideologist of the movement Maoist, the insurrection begins in five districts: Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Sindhuli. The Maoists, managing to control broad portions of the Nepalese territory, especially in the campaigns of the west of the country, announce the creation of a “government of the temporary people” in order to replace the local offices of the Administration to which they are attacked regularly. In spite of their claim to defend the interests of the people, the Maoists are shown by the defense organizations of the human rights adapt the goods belonging to country families, recruit of force of the child-soldiers, extort money from contractors, impose “revolutionary taxes”, carry out removals and devote themselves to the practice of ill treatment with regard to the removed people. These same organizations show at the same time the Royal army to resort to torture and the ill treatment at the place of the people “captured” within the framework of their operations of fight against the guerilla. The civil war will make nearly 13.000 dead.
Massacre with the royal palace
June 1st 2001, the crown prince Dipendra, drunk and under the influence of cocaine, kills 10 family members royal during a dinner. Among the victims are in particular his/her parents, the king Birendra, the queen Aiswarya as well as the other children of the royal couple. Dipendra will turn over the weapon against itself and will die, after 3 days of coma. Following this drama, Gyanendra, the brother of Birendra, absent to this dinner, goes up on the throne. The report/ratio of investigation concludes with the responsibility for the crown prince. But many are the Nepaleses who believe rather in the implication of Gyanendra and his/her Paras son in the business of the massacre of the royal family.
Takeover by force of king Gyanendra
In October 2002, king Gyanendra puts all the political community at back by suspending the Parliament and by dislocating its functions the Prime Minister elected Sher Bahadur Deuba with the reason for its incapacity to regulate the problem of the insurgent Maoists. In June 2004, the king appoints again Sher Bahadur Deuba Prime Minister. He dismisses it the 2005, assumes the full powerss and form the new Council of Ministers made up of faithful which he chooses itself. He issues the state of emergency and suspends the basic rights. The media are muzzled while hundreds of people are stopped.
General strike and restoration of the Parliament
Vis-a-vis this takeover by force, the opposition parties start on April 6th 2006, a unlimited general strike intended to make fold the sovereign, in particular claiming the convocation of a constituent Assembly. As for most radical of them, they do not hesitate to preach the introduction of a République. The April 24th 2006, vis-a-vis the pressure of the street, the king finally agrees to restore the dissolved assembly in 2002 and names Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who announces during his nomination in front of the members of Parliament (and with the unanimous agreement of the opposition parties), its intention to organize elections for the formation of a constituent Assembly having for mandate to write a new fundamental law which will decide in particular fate of the Monarchie.
May 18th, 2006, the Parliament votes a historical proclamation unanimously depriving king Gyanendra of the essence of his capacities. This proclamation stipulates that the Parliament is the supreme authority of the country. The name of “Government of the Nepal of Its Majesty” is modified by “Government of Nepal”. The king loses his title of supreme Commander of the Nepalese Royal army while the army, renamed Armée with Nepal, passes under control of a National council of safety chaired by the Prime Minister. Under the terms of this proclamation, all the executive powers of the State from now on will be assumed by the Council of Ministers. Moreover, Nepal, only nation officially Hindu in the world, becomes a laic State. Raj Parishad or the royal Council is abolished. The king could from now on be continued in front of the courts like any citizen and it will be held to pay its taxes like any Nepalese.
Peace agreement
An peace agreement between the Government and the Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) (ex-rebels Maoists) is signed the November 21st 2006. The Government and the Maoists intend themselves to call upon UNO to supervise the control of the weapons and to give its support for the preparation of the elections for the training of the constituent Assembly. In spite of a fragile peace, because of the frequent failures of the ex-rebels Maoists to the code of conduct signed by the parts, a new Provisional government is made up on April 1st 2007, This coalition government, directed by the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, includes/understands five ministers Maoists. This entry with the government of the Maoists comes to consolidate the peace agreement of November 2006. The new government fixes at June 20th, 2007, the date of the behavior of the elections for the training of the constituent Assembly.
See too
Related articles
- List of the Prime Ministers of Nepal
- List of the kings of Nepal
External bond
- Site of a doctorand in history on the rebellion Maoist in Nepal
Be-X-old: ГісторыяНепала
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